Our blog & news: Get involved to help wildlife

 
 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 
Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
 


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  1. Panthera's plans for 2019 to help big cat conservation

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    Panthera is dedicated solely to the conservation of wild cats.   And Panthera has shared its plans for 2019 and the advances it wants to make for big cats:

    Sign up for updates from Panthera


    Take On Wildlife Crime and Trafficking Globally

    To clamp down on the threat to other cat species in areas of the world where wildlife crime is rising.  Funding from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will help Panthera to increase its work with government partners around the world to disrupt the criminals targeting tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards.

    Revolutionize the Way it Shares and Uses Scientific Data
    To roll out what is arguably the largest collection of data on wild cats in the world.  Its new data system will enable scientists and partners to expand and share knowledge in ways they never have before, with immediate access to millions of camera trap images and analytical tools applicable across species, sites, and regions.  This global network will change the way conservation is done and speed progress.

    Increase its Eyes on the Wild
    To produce and use up to 10,000 of the PantheraCam V7s - meaning that up to 28,000 camera traps will be in the field.  These should be a big help to wild cat biologists.

    Be a part of this journey -
    Sign up to Panthera for updates and ways to help here

  2. Good news for Jaguars in Belize

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    I love the World Land Trust; it’s one of my favourite charities and I’ve been a supporter for some time now, doing what I can.  After all, every £1 matters.

    So I was very pleased to see from their website that the supporters of the Trust, of which I am one very small part, has reached its £600,000 target to save 8,154 acres of Jungle for Jaguars in Belize.

    The target has been reached far faster than the World Land Trust anticipated, so they are going to press on and look for donations to go towards the purchase of another vital piece of corridor.  A £100 donation can save one acre of habitat there, thanks to a government subsidy, but frankly every bit helps and you don’t have to donate that amount to be a part of something really very special.

    I donated towards the Jungle for Jaguars appeal in memory of my father on the occasion of his birthday and I feel a warm glow inside my heart every time I think of a jaguar on the prowl through a jungle, doing what jaguars do.

    Like every species on the planet, they deserve the right conditions to thrive and survive and it’s up to us humans to ensure they get it.

    Donate here to the World Land Trust.  Every £1 will help the jaguars and all the wildlife who need these corridors to move safely from one area to another.

     

  3. Canada invests £8.5 million to save land for wildlife conservation in the Rocky Mountains

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    Canada is investing C$14.7 million – that’s the equivalent of about £8.5 million – to put aside 7,900 hectares for wildlife conservation in the Rocky Mountains.

    They are beautiful – I visited there far too long ago – and I’m delighted to hear of this move.

    The funding will expand a tract of land in the south-east of British Columbia.   The initiative will help protect about 40 species.  Grizzly bears, wolverines, peregrine falcons and mountain caribou will benefit.

    British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies Travel Guide from Lonely Planet
    f
    rom Lonely Planet Publications

    The investment comes from federal and provincial governments.  It will add 14% more land to the existing Darkwoods Conservation Area, which has valleys, mountains and lakes and which connects to an existing network of wildlife management areas and parkland.


    The investment means that both wildlife and plant life will have improved protection in an area which lies within the world’s only inland temperate rainforest.

    Find out more about why the Darkwoods Conservation Area matters

     

     

  4. Palau - islands making a difference

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    What’s special about Palau?

    It’s an island situated in the western part of the Pacific ocean and it consists of one large volcanic island and several smaller coral reef associated islands.

    It’s small.  But it takes action.

    Palau is imposing a widespread ban on sunscreen in order to protect its coral reefs.  This ban will come into effect in 2020.

    The sale and use of sunscreen and skincare products which have a list of 10 different chemicals will be restricted.  Researchers believe that these ingredients are highly toxic to marine life.  They can also make coral more susceptible to bleaching.  The ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate are particularly believed to make coral more susceptible. 

    Palau has taken the lead in protecting marine life before.

    Back in 2015 it designated almost its entire ocean territory as a marine protected zone.

    It was the second nation to ratify the 2016 Paris climate agreement.

    Thousands of visitors go to Palau every year – and the islands are determined to protect their coral reefs.

    As well as sunscreen, reefs are also threatened by sea water warming, over fishing, nutrient enrichment and pollution. These all need to be stopped to halt the continuing degradation of reef ecosystems.

    But that said, there is always more that can be done, we have to start somewhere, so thank you Palau for leading the way and showing that action can be taken.

    After all, many visitors to come to see the coral reefs in all their beauty, not bleached coral reefs in a terrible state.

    There are bans in other places.  Mexico has banned sunscreen in nature reserves.   The Island of Bonaire in the Caribbean and the state of Hawaii have also passed laws. 

    But Palau is leading the way as it covers 10 chemicals.

    Needless to say, some of the big corporates who produce sunscreen products are sulking, saying that there isn’t enough evidence of the impact on coral.  But some have come together to form the Safe Sunscreen Council and they’ve welcomed the move. 

    Come on other nations – if little Palau can do it, why can’t you? 

    Visit also Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, a nonprofit organization working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish for the islands of Maui Nui 

  5. Apathy kills, action inspires

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    It’s very motivating to browse the internet and come across something which really strikes into your heart.

    The sort of thing I’m thinking of spurs you to take action – not just to want to take action, but to actually do it.

    How often do we come away having read something, thinking," That’s terrible," and then go on as if we had read nothing or not been affected at all?

    The key to successful wildlife conservation is to moving people literally to take action, to do something, in whatever way we all can, to do something to save this wildlife on this planet and most particularly, to save and protect their habitats. 

    Number of actions for wildlife...
    ___________________________________________________________

    0                          2              3              4              5              6              7                         

                    1 action
                    is better than
                    no action at all

    The good thing about taking one action is that we tend to feel good about doing it.  And often we may think, "That was easy!  What else can I do?"  Sometimes it’s just the getting started and doing something however little time it takes.

    The one thing wildlife cannot afford at all is for us all to sit at the zero action position. 

    We need a total army of people who will move from the zero point to doing stuff.  And if each of us already do stuff, we need to do more.

    E.O.Wilson is a scientist.  In his book Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life , (which inspires us to set aside half of the earth’s surface for nature), Mr Wilson writes:

    “To those who are steering the growth of reserves worldwide, let me make an earnest request:  don’t stop, just aim a lot higher.”

    We all need to act for the sake of wildlife and this beautiful planet of ours.

    Please take an action to help wildlife today.  One way is to support those already working to grow and protect reserves around the world or protecting the wildlife already there.